1. Field
The present disclosure relates to integrated plasmon detectors, and more particularly to employing such detectors to monitor the surface roughness of a metal deposit.
2. Related Art
Currently known and used methods of determining surface roughness revolve mainly around the use of microscopy, such as atomic force microscopy, scanning tunnel microscopy, and low energy scanning electron microscopy. Such techniques can achieve high resolution, but cannot be effectively used to monitor surface changes in real time. Such real time monitoring may be achieved through the use of piezoelectric crystals or optical reflection, but such techniques usually require comparatively large surface areas that are not practicable on a nano scale, and thus not adaptable to monitoring very fine surface roughness. The present disclosure addresses these needs and difficulties with a novel approach to surface roughness detection and monitoring.